The former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder details how close he came to landing the job four months before Heimir Hallgrímsson’s appointment.
17:02, 15 Jan 2026
Gus Poyet says he would “love” to manage Ireland, but is eager to spell out his appreciation for the work that Heimir Hallgrímsson is currently doing in the hotseat.
So this isn’t a come-and-get-me-as-soon-as-possible plea.
Instead, he is addressing the opportunity to one day land a job that almost two years ago he believed was his.
Before Hallgrímsson’s name ever came into the equation, Poyet looked like the most likely candidate to take over from Stephen Kenny.
Today, he details just how close he came to taking the job - and he outlines the sticking point that led to him turning down the Ireland post.
The former Chelsea midfielder, who masterminded Greek dominance over Ireland in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, has kept a close eye on the progression of the team since then.
Poyet was in charge of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in Korea while Hallgrímsson was guiding Ireland to sensational back-to-back World Cup qualification wins over Portugal and Hungary in November.
He praised the Icelander for his work in overcoming a “difficult start” to his tenure - a Nations League campaign that saw Ireland fall to two more defeats to Greece, as well as a couple of heavy losses to England.
And he has backed the Boys in Green to qualify for the World Cup, via the play-offs in March.
“First,” said Poyet, speaking to the MirrorSport via betting site Betfree, “I keep an eye [on Ireland] because, as you know, I was very close to getting the job.
“I followed, especially in the beginning after I didn’t agree [terms for the job] and it was a difficult start for the coach, and I was a little bit worried because you want the coach to do well.
“So now to see that change to a great opportunity, to get into the play-off, it makes me very happy because I know how important it is for the people of Ireland.
“Now it is a matter of details, these play-off games, they are going to be decided by one or two things, and you need as well a little bit of luck.
“I think it’s important that the players feel the possibility of achieving a great objective, so I am very pleased for them.”
The conversation turns to March 2024. Poyet’s time as Greece manager was nearing an end, and links with the FAI were growing.
This was after the previous year’s Nations League campaign, when he brought his side to Dublin and was blown away by the Irish support.
Asked how close he was to the job, he replied: “Very close. It was just a matter of staff, the number of the staff that I was able to bring. There was a difference in the numbers.
“I wanted to have a minimum of support, because I do believe we do things in a certain way, not only because of me but because of my staff.
“I would say normally I would bring… not crazy like nowadays where people need five, six or seven, but I needed to bring a minimum and Ireland wanted a little bit more local staff to support me.
“It was a matter of numbers, not money.”
Poyet added that, in his mind, the job was his.
“I thought I was getting it. I was ready. I was analysing the team, I knew exactly what I needed,” he said.
“For example, probably the most important players at that time were central defenders, and Ireland were playing with three at the back because they were so important.
“I never played in my career with my teams with three or five at the back. I played 99 percent with four.
“But I understood why Ireland were playing with three, because the three players were unbelievable for the team, they were so important for the national team.
“So there were things that I needed to check and adapt to. But yes, I was very close.”
Is the job even more attractive now?
“Look, sometimes we are used as coaches to go to places where the team is not doing well, so you need to start from zero and change everything,” replied the former Uruguay international.
“Sometimes you say, give me a team that is doing well, this manager left for a better job so I get that one.
“I think the coach is magnificent now. He had a very difficult start. I think it was very important that the board [of the FAI] kept faith in him and maintained him, and now they get the reward, so let’s hope they can do well in the play-offs.”
Hallgrímsson, who has yet to extend his contract beyond the current World Cup window, holds all the cards right now, with the FAI eager to offer him a new deal.
But there will come a time when he will either jump or be pushed.
When that comes around, how would Poyet feel about taking over?
“I would love to,” said the 58-year-old. “I said it, and I repeat it, the trip from the hotel to the [Aviva] Stadium and the support at the stadium, wow, it was unbelievable.
“I have been in the Netherlands with Greece, in France, I was in Georgia, in different countries, what I see there, wow. It was amazing.
“Sometimes when you see that kind of support, you say, how nice it would be to be on that side. Why always against?
“I think the passion is there. Obviously there are a few things you would like to do to understand what the people of Ireland want as well.
“Let’s just say I was in. I was fully in.”